Media, Sport and Entertainment Intelligence

Overview

It’s been a great month for sports fans with the Rio Olympics providing a daily dose of exceptional sporting memories. It has also been estimated that half a million people a day watched the Olympics on live streams − yet more evidence that the way we watch and enjoy sport is evolving.

But despite the dog days of summer, and the distraction of the Olympics, the rest of the world has not been resting on its laurels. Australia has seen a flurry of proposed legislation and China is set to invest even more heavily into the film industry. Read all about these developments below.

The Digital Single Market

The European Commission announced its plans to implement a new regulatory framework for online platforms in the Digital Single Market, which will lead to a harmonisation of the differing national legislations and rules in the currently 28 member states. With this framework, the Commission seeks not only to promote sustainable development and the expansion of online platforms as business models, but also to simplify and improve the effectiveness of enforcement instruments. In particular, the Commission sees the need to maintain a balanced and predictable liability regime for online platforms. This offers the chance to unify e.g. the procedure of blocking injunctions against Internet access providers and the measures to be taken by such platforms in order to prevent infringements.

Media

Deloitte’s Australian Media Consumer Survey 2016 report explores the ever-changing media and entertainment universe. This report, the fifth edition of Deloitte’s Media Consumer Survey, provides a snapshot of how Australians are consuming different media and entertainment and how this has changed over time. A key theme identified is the rise and dominance of social media networks as entertainment destinations in their own right.

Betting and sports

In addition, Australia has proposed reforms that will ban sports betting ads on public transport. The Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Marlene Kairouz, called for submissions for a public consultation on proposed restrictions on wagering advertising. The Competition and Consumer Commission in Australia has also released a draft version of its updated Media Merger Guidelines which explain its approach to assessing media mergers. Our MSE professionals in Australia will update our blog as these proposals develop.

It has also been announced that China's richest man is set to seal two billion-dollar US film deals. After completing the acquisition of two non-production film companies, each worth above $1 billion, Dalian Wanda's next target is said to be a so-called Big Six movie studio.

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